Cameraman may make work accident claim for fall from height

The Health and Safety Executive has prosecuted a film production company for the injuries suffered by a cameraman suffered from a fall from height on a movie set, with his injuries being severe enough for the injured employee to consider making a work accident claim for damages.

The injured film crew member, sixty two years of age, had been working in Middlesex at Shepperton Studios, filming scenes for the new Keanu Reeves film, ’47 Ronin.’ The cameraman, whose name has not been made public, fell through an unguarded section of the set from a height of nearly three metres, sustaining injuries including suspected fractures to his ribs and severe bruises, according to personal injury compensation experts familiar with the case.

The HSE investigate the film set shortly after the incident, discovering that the production company responsible for the set, Warrior Productions Limited, had fitted temporary guarding to certain areas, but had neglected to install any in the section that led to the cameraman’s injuries. The film production company, located in New Oxford Street, London, admitted breaching work at height regulations during a recent court hearing. Warrior Productions Limited was also told to pay £300 to the injured cameraman for his pain and suffering as well.

In the wake of the court hearing, one inspector for the Health and Safety Executive remarked that it was lucky that the cameraman emerged from his experience relatively unscathed, as it is not uncommon for injuries sustained from the height of his fall to be much more serious, and in fact has resulted in fatalities in many cases.